Engine-lubricating device.



N6. 834,498. PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906. T. L. & T. J. STURTEVANT. ENGINELUBRIGATING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB..17, 1906.

By W

rrn STATES PATH OF OE.

THOMAS LEGGETT STURTEVANT, OF QUINCY, AND THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT, OFVVELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO STURTEVANT MILL COMPANY,PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPO- RATION OF MAlNE.

ENGINE-LUBRICATENG DEVECE= Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

To albwhom it may concern:

7 Be it known that WQ,VTHOMAS Lnoenrr STURTEVANT,

residing at Quincy, and THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT, residing at Wellesley,in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, citizens of theUnited States, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulimprovements in Engine- Lubricating Devices, of which the following is aspecification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in engines, and has forits object to provide means whereby the cranleshafts, pitman-bearings,and also the engine-cylinders may be properly lubricated.

The invention is more particularly intended for r se in connection withgas or explosion engines, but is also adapted for use in connection withengines of other kinds.

In carrying the invention into effect the crankshaft casing is adaptedto serve as a receptacle for oil, which will preferably be fed theretofrom a float-controlled oil-cup or oilcups in such a manner that anoil-level will be maintained within the crank-casing at a point topermit the rotating cranks to dip slightly into the oil at the bottomsof their strokes, so that when the cranks are in rapid rotation theywill splash into the oil in such a manner as to raise a mist or fog ofoil within the crank-casing, and the oil will thereby be sprayed intothe bearings of the crank-shaft and also into concaved recesses orreceptacles with which the crank-shaft is provided, said concavedrecesses communicating by suitable or ducts with chambers in the cranksand Said chambers also communicating by SUP? pitniar 7 le passages orduets with the he cranks. The pitmen are pr owl-ed with longitudinalpass-a t irorgh which the oil can pass to .n-:oear1ngs in the pistons,

d in s the oil will work into the pistons and es or di'cts iery of therapid rotation and the oil is sprayed about in the piston-chamber itwill work intothe con; n

caved recesses or chambers with which the crank-shaft is provided andwill be forced outward centrifugally from said chambers to the chambersin the cranks and thence through the ducts in the piston-rods to thepistons. The chambers or recesses in the crank-shaft are preferablyprovided with screens, so that impurities or particles in the oil willbe prevented from entering into and thereby clogging the oil passages orducts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view showing anengine crankshaft casing and crank-shaft constructed in accordance withthe present invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view on. line 2 2, Fig.1, and at right angles thereto.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes a crank-shaft casing which isprovided with openings 13, which in practice will communicate with thechambers of the cylinders to be attached to the said crank-shaft casing.

1% denotes a crank-shaft in the solid metal of which are seated rings15, forming parts of ball-bearing casings and between which and theouter rings 16 are interposed balls 17 to constitute ball-bearings.These ball-bearings may be of any well-known or suitable constructionand will preferably be of that class in which coil-springs areinterposed between the balls to prevent them from rattling. Thecrank-shaft is provided with oil-receiving recesses or chambers 18, openat both ends and having sloping or concave walls, said cham herscommunicating with oil passages or ducts 19 20, which in turncommunicate with chambers 21, formed in the cranks 22, said chambers 21having oil-outlet ducts or passages 23, by which oil can escape to theouter surfaces of the said cranks to lubricate the joints between thecranks and pitmen.

The pitinen are presided with longitue'. 1 oil ducts or passages 25,tlnrough which the oil wili be centrifugeily forced on o from the cfembers 21 on the era e, i V man-pins 2.6, secn d re iprocating withinusual, manner. Each. of rably pro. ded. at its recess b annularoii-poaiet nicating by suitable ducts or passages 29 with anoil-receiving groove 30, so that the oil which lubricates eachpitrnan-pin 26, and more or less of which will work outward from thesaid pin, will creep down the wall of the chamber in the base of thepiston and be received in the annular oil-pocket 28 and will pass thencethrough the ducts or passages 29 to the oil-receiving groove 30, fromwhence it will spread over the outer surface of the piston and the innersurface of the cylinder in which the piston is reciprocated.

To prevent impurities or solid particles in the oil from entering theoil ducts or passages referred to, the oil-chambers 18 in the crankshaftare preferably provided with Wovenwire screens 31.

The oil is fed to the chamber of the crank: casing from an oil-cup oroil-cups 32, communicating by pipes 33 with the chamber of thecrank-casing, said oil-cups being supplied with oil from a reservoir orreservoirs 34, communicating by a pipe or pipes 35 with the saidoil-cups, and the level of oil within the latter, as also the level ofthe oil within the chamber in the crank-casing, is governed by valves36, controlled by ilo'ats 37, so that a level of oil may be maintainedwithin the crank-casing suitable to permit the cranks to dip into thesame slightly when they are at the bottomsof their strokes.

The four-crank crank-shaft herein illustrated is preferabl formed in twoparts or ing to lubricate the ball-bearings, the cases of- Which openinto the chamber of the crankcasing and which ball-bearing cases areseated in the solid metal of the crank-shaft. It will also beapparent'that the splashing of oil within the chamber of thecrank-casing will cause more or less of the oil to be supplied to theopenended chambers 18, formed in the crankshaft, and horn which chambersthe oil will be forced outward centrifugally through the ducts orpassages shown and described to the chambers 21 in the cranks and thenceoutward through the ducts in the pitmen to the outer bearin s of thelatter in the pistons and from whic outer bearings the oil will bespread or be conducted to the outer surfaces of the pistons and theinterior sur faces of the cylinders, as hereinbefore described. I

Having thus described our invention, we

sea-see claim and desire to secure by Letters ent- 1. The combinationwith an engine crankcase adapted to contain a liquid lubricant, of

automatic means for maintaining a supply of crank-case at any P esiredlevel, a crank-shaft rotating in said crank-case, a crank or crankscarried by said shaft and adapted tov te the oil to be contained in saidcrank-case, means, rotating with the said crank-shaft, for distributingoil by centrifugal action when the said shaft is in rotation, and ballbearings supporting said crank-shaft and open to the interior of thesaid cranlccase so as to be lubricated by the oil splashed about thereinby the rotating crank or cranks.

3. The combination with an engine crankcase adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, of a sectional crank-shaft journaled therein and carryingaplurality of cranks, means for maintaining a supply of oil in saidcrank-case at any desired level, so that said cranks can dip into theoil at or near the bottom of their strokes, and means, rotating with thesaid crank-shaft, for distributing oil to parts ec centric to saidcrank-shaft.

4. The combination with an engine crankcase adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, of a sectional crankshaft journaled therein and carrying aplurality of cranks, means for maintaining a supply of oil in saidcrank-case at any desired level, so that said cranks can dip into theoil at or near the bottom of their strokes, means, rotating with thesaid crankshaft, for distributing oil to parts eccentric to saidcrank-shaft, and means, also rotating with said crank-shaft, forscreening or purifying the oil to be distributed.

5. The combination with an engine crankcase adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, of means for supplying oil to said crank-case, a crank-shaftjournaled in said case and having one or more open-ended oil-receivingchambers, one or more chambered cranks rotating "with the saidcrank-shaft, said openended chambers being adapted to receive oilsplashed about in the chamber of the said case by said crank or cranks,passages or ducts through which oil may be centrifugally forced fromsaid open-ended chambers to the chambers in the cranks, and means forper- 7 mitting the passage of oil from the said crank or cranks outward,by centrifugal action, to lubricateother parts.

6. The combination with an engine crankcase adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, of means for supplying oil to said crank-case, a crank-shaftjournaled in said case and having one or more open-ended oil-receivingchambers, one or more chambered cranks rotating with said crank-shaft,said open-ended chambers being adapted to receive oil splashed about inthe chamber of the said case by said crank or lcranks, passages or ductsthrough which oil may be centrifugally forced from said open-endedchambers to the chambers in the cranks, means for permitting the passageof oil from the said crank or cranks outward, by centrifugal action, tolubricate other parts, and means in said oil-receiving chambers toscreen the oil so that the said oil passages or ducts will not becomeclogged.

7. The combination with an engine crankcase, adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, and means for supplying such lubricant to said crank-case, ofa crank-shaft rotating in said crank-case, one or more cranks on saidcrank-shaft, and means on said crank-shaft for centrifugally supplyingoil to said crank or cranks.

8. The combination with an engine crankcase, adapted to contain a liquidlubricant, and means for en plying such lubricant to said crank-case, 0'a crank-shaft rotating in said crank-case, one or more cranks in saidcrank-shaft, means on said crank-shaft for centrifugally supplying oilto said crank or cranks, and means, also on said crank-shaft, forscreening or purifying the oil thus suplied.-

p 9. The combination with an engine crankcase, adapted to contain aliquid lubricant, and one or more cranks rotating in said crankcase, offloat-controlled oil-supplying means for maintaining a level of oil insaid crankcase suitable to permit said crank or cranks, when inrotation, to dip into the oil more or less.

1 0. The combination with an engine crankcase, adapted to contain aliquid lubricant, and one or more chambered cranks rotating in saidcrank-case, of float-controlled oil-supplying means for maintaining aproper level of oil in said crank-case to permit the said crank orcranks to dip into the oil more or less, and means for centrifugallysupplying oil to the chamber or chambers of said crank or cranks.

1 1. The combination with an engine crankcase, adapted to contain aliquid lubricant, and one or more chambered cranks rotating in saidcrank-case, of float-controlled oil-supplying means for maintaining aproper level of oil in said crank-case to permit the said crank orcranks to dip into the oil more or less, means for centrifugallysupplying oil to the chamber or chambers of said crank or cranks, andmeans for permitting the passage of oil from said crank or cranksoutward to lubricate other parts.

12. The combination with an. engine crankcase adapted to hold a liquidlubricant, of a sectional or two-part crank-shaft journaled therein andhaving four cranks, antifriction or ball bearings seated in the solidmetal of said shaft, float-controlled means for supplying lubricant tosaid crank-case, and means on said shaft for centrifugally supplyin thelubricant to the cranks carried by said s aft.

13. The combination with a fourcylinder engine crank-case, adapted tohold a liquid lubricant, of a sectional or two-part crankshaft journaledtherein and having four cranks, antifriction or ball bearings seated inthe solid metal of said shaft, float-controlled means for supplyinglubricant to said crankcase, means on said shaft for centrifugallysupplying the lubricant to the cranks carried by said shaft, and meansfor centrifugally supplying the lubricant to the pitmen and pistonsoperated by said cranks.

14. The combination with an engine crankcase adapted to hold a liquidlubricant, of a two-part crank-shaft havin four cranks, ball-bearingssupporting said crank-shaft, and means for maintaining any desiredoillevel in said crank-case so that said cranks may dip into the oilwhen in rotation.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS LEGGE'IT STURTEVANT. THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT. -Witnesses:

W. H. ELLIS, L. H. STURTEVANT.

